Could someone please exlain how the seedings will work for the playoffs? In particular, I’m confused about the American League. If the season were to end today, would Seattle (with the best record of the four teams) play Cleveland (with the worst record of the four teams) or Oakland (with the wild card slot but having a better record than Cleveland)? I’ve searched for MLB playoff rules but have been unable to find anything. If anyone can provide a link I’d be most appreciative. Thanks!
Based on the fact that last year the AL wild card team (Seattle) had a better record than the AL east leader (New York) and the team with the best record (Chicago) played the Mariners not the Yankees, I’d say the team with the best record plays the wild card team–unless the wild card is from the same division, then they play the team with the worst record (I do know the later for a fact).
I cannot find an official site that explains this though.
Jimpy is correct. The new MLB website doesn’t have all of the official playoff info on it, like dates and tiebreaking possibilities. I imagine it will show up next month.
The wild card team always starts series on the road unless it is in the World Series. That alternates between leagues. This year, the NL will be the “home” league.
Seattle would play Cleveland, and the Yanks would play Oakland. The best team plays the worst team, except if they are from the same division. A couple of years ago the Yanks didn’t play the Red Sox (wild card) until the second round because of this rule.
The Yankees didn’t play the Red Sox in the first round a couple of years back because they are in the same division. As I said, last year the best team (Chicago) didn’t play the worst team (Yankees) they played the wild card Mariners.
The wild card has been in the same division as the team with the best record in 1997 in both the NL and AL (ATL-FLA, BAL-NY). In 1998 NY should have played BOS in the first round. In 1999, the Mets should have played ATL in the first round and the Red Sox and Yankees also should have.
I say should because I don’t see why teams in the same division can’t play each other in the first round. Doesn’t seem to be a problem in basketball, hockey, or football.
It’s been my expirience that Major League Baseball (at the executive level) and logic don’t mix.
Actually, if I recall correctly, football didn’t allow a wild card team to play the winner of its division when there were only four teams to make the playoffs from each conference. It was only after the expansion of the playoffs to six teams per conference that this prohibition was dropped.
A similar sort of seeding rule is built into tournaments such as the World Cup, where preliminary play in groups is followed by knock-out play. The seedings from group to knock-out are set specifically to avoid a meeting between members of the same qualifying group until the last possible game. With only two from a group going through, this isn’t too hard, but it gets a bit complicated when you have silliness like the “best third place” teams that used to qualify in the World Cup.
Having the Wild Card play the winner of its own division amounts to simply a playoff for division championship, with the real possibility that the second-place team could win.
Of course, having wild cards at all is an abomination unto the Lord.
– Beruang
The NFL didn’t have much choice at that point. With three wild cards in each conference, it became possible that the two teams that get a bye are in different divisions and the other are all in the same division.
The need for “playoffs” at all is an abomination. The World Series was best when it pitted the champion of the Senior Circuit against the Champion of the Junior Circuit, not a playoff at all, but a contest of two existing champions, determined through the experience of 154 games.
Soccer in most countries is similar, with the champion crowned at the end of the season without any playoffs. Of course, there is usually an open to all comers tournament that occurs simultaneously during the season on a knock-out basis that substitutes for the idea of playoffs…
As we veer off into GD, I suppose that we can all go back to just having 16 teams playing Major League ball and having all of them no farther west than St. Louis.
Or we can have more teams and set up a relegation system, so we can get rid of Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh next year and replace them with the PCL and IL champions.
Or we’ll have a “Baseball Cup” and start off with the Yankees playing their A league team in Staten Island.
And the Mariners magic number to win the single division AL is now 19.
The European championship system works well in Europe, but financially and practically it would be a disaster in any U.S. sport. (Although there is an Open Cup competition in U.S. soccer.)